Last week, FeedHenry shared with MMW a whitepaper produced in collaboration with VDC. The report in question examines the use of mobile apps in the transportation sector.

According to a report summary by the authors, the findings underscore not only a trend in using mobile solutions to reduce operational costs and improve worker productivity, but also highlight the role they play in improved customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Mobility is nothing new to this industry sector. However, the potential for innovation and transformation that can be gained from coupling smart device features with real-time transportation information cannot be ignored.

Although the industry relies significantly on proprietary IT systems that were not conceived to be mobilized, the authors explain, the adoption of cloud computing and the emergence of new software tools liberates backend data to the mobile device – securely and easily.

An interesting finding is the extent to which the transportation sector is taking a more long-term, strategic view in the adoption of mobile technology as an integral part of operations. When asked which metrics were the most important to measure the benefits of mobile solutions, reduced operational costs and mobile worker productivity topped the list followed closely by “competitive differentiation and advantage.”

In terms of overcoming legacy barriers, the progress is equally notable.

“VDC research revealed that many transportation organizations have been delaying the modernization of aging IT systems and applications due to upfront capital costs, as well as maintenance and support,” a statement regarding the new whitepaper reads. “Until these legacy systems are superseded, companies need to look for ways to unleash the data and make it securely available to mobile devices. VDC believes that next generation mobile app platforms that use the cloud as a data abstraction layer can help to overcome these technical barriers and that organizations with a strong mobile mindset will benefit by using these platforms to create nimbler and more user-friendly applications that improve operational efficiency.”